Login architecture for network access through a cable system
First Claim
1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps for a computer to access a computer network through a cable system, comprising:
- establishing a session with a connection server of the cable system using a first network address of the cable system;
providing authentication information within the session to the connection server;
receiving a second network address routable through the computer network;
constructing network packets using the second network address for communication with the computer network; and
transmitting the network packets to the connection server within the session with the connection server for forwarding to the computer network.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A login architecture for a computer to access an external network, such as the Internet, through a cable network provides session-based connection to the external computer network. The home computer is first assigned a restricted network address by the cable network. With the restricted network address, the user may access a “walled garden” of the cable network, but cannot access the external computer network. To access the external computer network, a session-based connection, such as a “tunnel” under the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, is formed between the home computer and a connection server of the cable network, and the user is authenticated over the session-based connection. A second network address usable for accessing the external network is then assigned to the home computer. The home computer sends network communication packets using the public network address through the session-based connection to the connection provider, which forwards the communication packets to the external computer network. The login architecture may be implemented to provide connection to the external network on a per-user account basis or on a home account basis. In the case whether the external network is the Internet, a selection of Internet service providers (ISPs) for Internet access through the cable network is provided by using multiple connection servers connected to different ISPs.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps for a computer to access a computer network through a cable system, comprising:
-
establishing a session with a connection server of the cable system using a first network address of the cable system;
providing authentication information within the session to the connection server;
receiving a second network address routable through the computer network;
constructing network packets using the second network address for communication with the computer network; and
transmitting the network packets to the connection server within the session with the connection server for forwarding to the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of connecting a computer to an external computer network through a cable system, comprising the steps of:
-
establishing a session with a connection server of the cable system using a first network address of the cable system;
providing, by the computer within the session, authentication information to the connection server;
sending, by the connection server after verifying the authentication information, to the computer a second network address routable through the external computer network;
constructing, by the computer, network packets using the second network address for communication with the external computer network; and
transmitting, by the computer within the session with the connection server, the network packets to the connection server for forwarding to the external computer network. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A cable system for connecting a home computer to an external computer network, comprising:
-
a private computer network; and
cable media connecting the home computer to the private computer network;
the private computer network including a connection server and an address allocation server, the address allocation server allocating a restricted network address to the home computer for accessing the private computer network and a public network address for accessing the external computer network;
the connection server connected to a network service provider for providing connectivity to the external computer network and programmed for establishing a communication tunnel with the home computer, receiving authentication information from the home computer through the communication tunnel, assigning and sending a public network address to the home computer for accessing the external computer network, receiving network packets using the public network address sent by the home computer through the communication tunnel, and forwarding the network packets to the external computer network.- View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
-
19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps by a connection server of a cable system to connect a computer to an external computer network through a cable network of the cable system, comprising:
-
establishing a session with the computer over the cable network, the session initiated by the computer using a restricted network address of the cable system allocated to the computer;
receiving authentication information within the session from the computer;
assigning to the computer, after verifying the authentication information, a public network address routable through the external computer network;
receiving from the computer within the session established therewith packets using the public network address for communication with the external computer network; and
forwarding the network packets to a network service provider of the external computer network. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification